A woman is 'allergic to winter' because of a rare condition that makes her skin break out in hives when it feels the cold.

Arianna Kent suffers with cold-induced urticaria, and risks going into anaphylactic shock when she feels the temperatures plummet.

Miss Kent's body can become covered in burning and itchy hives, if she is exposed to cold temperatures.

At her worst, the 21-year-old was hospitalised three times a month due to the severity of her symptoms.

Miss Kent lives in Edmonton, Canada, where temperatures can reach as low as -40°C (-40°F), and often avoids leaving the house because even walking to her car is 'potentially dangerous'.

She has to layer up and prepare for temperature changes to allow her to spend five minutes outside. Any longer and she can suffer a reaction.

Arianna Kent, 21, of Canada, is 'allergic to winter'. She suffers with cold-induced urticaria, and risks going into anaphylactic shock when she feels as little as a breeze

Miss Kent, an insurance admin worker, has to be careful doing every day tasks such as walking outside to her car, opening a fridge, eating ice cream, or holding a glass with ice in.

Miss Kent's body has become entirely covered in burning, itchy hives 'thousands' of times

Essential cold urticaria makes up about one to three per cent of all urticaria cases, according to the National Organisation of Rare Disorders.

Urticaria, also known as hives, is estimated to affect around one in five people at some point in their lives, according to the NHS.

The exact cause of cold urticaria is not known. Rarely, it may be associated with an underlying blood condition or infectious disease, according to National Institutes of Health, and is not likely to be inherited.